Summing in the Interface

[Tony Scharf]

On Sun, Sep 21, 2008 at 7:12 PM, Niall Munnelly <aleph at aleph-null.net> wrote:
> To use an audio interface, like a FireFace, Mobile IO or
> PCI-424, for summing multitrack projects to a stereo mix,
> one must patch an output pair to an input pair, and record
> the stereo track with DAW software, introducing two
> conversions - DA and AD.
>
> I've never quite grokked why - is this a technical
> limitation shared by all interfaces?  Do any audio
> interfaces allow you to sum over the PCI, Firefire or USB
> bus without the additional conversion?
>

This has never been a problem, because every DAW out there allows for
bouncing audio tracks internally.  Some do it in real time while
others will 'calculate' the mix at faster speed (depends on if you
have external MIDI tracks or not).  In any case, bouncing is an
internal matter to the DAW and the interface doesn't matter.

That said, both the MOTU interface I used to have and the EMU 1820m I
have no allow you to internally route back into the system.  Going
analog is not ever necessary.